The ASICS Core T-Shirt is the piece most people buy first, and at £34.99 it is the cheapest way into the range without dropping to the vest. There are seven colourways, plus a heavier Road tee sitting above them, and the difference between them is almost entirely about what you plan to wear with it.
This guide goes through all eight, what each colour actually pairs with, and whether you are better off buying the tee on its own or as part of a set. For the wider picture of the range, our complete ASICS clothing guide covers every piece.
The seven Core T-Shirt colourways
All seven are £34.99 and all seven run S to XL.
Black is the one to buy if you are only buying one. It goes under every half-zip and windrunner in the range, sits over any of the bottoms, and does not date. If you are building a wardrobe rather than an outfit, start here.
Smoke Grey is the quiet alternative. It is the only Core tee colourway with no matching set, which makes it a separates only pick. That is not a drawback if you were buying separates anyway, and it pairs neatly with the Steel Grey Core Woven Pant for a tonal look, or with black bottoms for contrast.
Lazer Orange is the loudest thing in the range. Wear it with black and nothing else, and it looks deliberate. Try to match it to another colour and it fights. Good pick for running, where being seen is a feature.
Vital Green is bright but easier to place than the orange. Black or grey bottoms, and it works.
Maroon is the best of the colours if you want something other than black without shouting. It also has a natural partner in the Maroon 7in Core Woven shorts, which is the only tonal top and bottom pairing in a colour anywhere in the range.
Cream is the summer pick and the one most likely to end up worn away from training. It sits well with the Sandstorm 5in shorts and with the Brown Stone side of the range. Be realistic about how you launder it.
Aqua is the other warm weather colour and the one that looks best with the Aegean Blue 7in shorts if you want a blue on blue outfit rather than a matched set.
The Road T-Shirt
The Foggy Teal Road T-Shirt is £49.99, and it is heavier than the Core tee. That is the whole story in one line: it is the running led tee, it is not a premium version of the Core tee, and it is £15 more.
Buy it if you run and you want a tee that is built for that. Buy the Core tee if you want something you will wear in the gym, on rest days and under a half-zip. Our ASICS running clothing guide goes deeper on which pieces suit road running.
How the Core tee fits
Every ASICS tee here runs S, M, L and XL, the same four sizes used across the entire apparel range. That consistency is genuinely useful: once you know your size in one Core piece, the rest of the range follows.
If you are between sizes or ordering ASICS for the first time, check the sizing guide and our ASICS sizing guide before you commit, rather than guessing and returning. If you plan to layer the tee under the Core Half-Zip, think about that at the point of ordering too.
Tee alone or as a set?
Six of the seven Core colourways are also sold as a T-Shirt Set at £74.99: Black, Maroon, Cream, Aqua, Vital Green and Lazer Orange. Smoke Grey is tee only. The Road tee has its own set at £89.99.
| Colourway | Tee price | Set available | Easiest pairing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | £34.99 | Yes, £74.99 | Everything |
| Smoke Grey | £34.99 | No | Steel Grey pant or black bottoms |
| Lazer Orange | £34.99 | Yes, £74.99 | Black only |
| Vital Green | £34.99 | Yes, £74.99 | Black or grey bottoms |
| Maroon | £34.99 | Yes, £74.99 | Maroon 7in shorts, or black |
| Cream | £34.99 | Yes, £74.99 | Sandstorm shorts, Brown Stone |
| Aqua | £34.99 | Yes, £74.99 | Aegean Blue shorts |
| Foggy Teal Road | £49.99 | Yes, £89.99 | Black bottoms |
Prices correct at time of writing.
The set costs £74.99 against £34.99 for the tee alone, so the bottoms in a set effectively cost £40. Whether that is good value depends on one question: will you wear both halves? If you already own black shorts you like, buy the tee and skip the set. If you want a guaranteed colour match and one decision instead of two, the set is the easier buy. We take that further in building an ASICS outfit from separates.
Two tees and one pair of bottoms is often the smarter spend than one set, and it is how most people end up building the range out. Pair a black tee with the right shorts length and you have covered most of the summer.
Buying notes
Order before 2PM and it ships the same day. UK delivery is free over £100, which two tees and a pair of shorts will not quite reach, but a tee plus a windrunner will. Klarna and Clearpay are both at checkout. Browse the full ASICS t-shirts and vests collection.
Quick answers
How much is an ASICS t-shirt?
The Core T-Shirt is £34.99 in all seven colourways. The heavier Foggy Teal Road T-Shirt is £49.99.
Which black ASICS t-shirt should I buy?
There is one black option in the Core range, the Black Core T-Shirt at £34.99. If you want the matching bottoms too, the Black Core T-Shirt Set is £74.99.
What sizes do ASICS t-shirts come in?
S, M, L and XL. That is the full range across all ASICS apparel here, so nothing above XL is available.
What is the difference between the Core and Road t-shirt?
The Road tee is heavier and running led, and costs £49.99 against £34.99. The Core tee is the everyday option and comes in far more colours.
Can I wear a Core tee under a half-zip?
Yes, and it is one of the more useful things about the range. See our half-zips guide for which one to layer over it.
The full ASICS guide series
- ASICS Clothing UK: The Complete Men's Range Explained
- ASICS Vests: Core Vests, Sizing and When to Wear One
- ASICS Woven Pants and Trousers: Fit, Sizing and Colourways
- ASICS Shorts: 5in vs 7in, and Which Length to Buy
- ASICS Half-Zips: The Core and Sport Half-Zip Compared
- ASICS Gym Wear: Building a Training Kit from Separates
- ASICS Running Clothing: What Works for Road Running
- The ASICS Core Range Explained: Every Piece and What It Costs
- How to Build an ASICS Outfit from Separates, Not a Set